Tell Me Your Dreams
by Xixou
Summary: She knows everything about dream sharing, she's one of the best. But she's scared of facing reality, clinging onto dreams from the past. It could change when a charming Forger tries stepping on her toes, showing her that life isn't all about guilt and regret. Will she let him call her darling? Time waits for no one but it will reveal all secrets. Eames/OC, T for now, will change!
1. Prologue

**~PROLOGUE~**

She was lost, god damnit. Not used to being the victim, she treated herself with a mental slap while swiftly moving through the busy streets of Mombasa. She walked with her hand held out in front of her face, hoping it would help with pain pulsating through her temples but to no avail, the sun was unbearable.

She wasn't hundred percent sure how did she end up being kidnapped, perhaps one too many glasses of wine at the banquet had something to do with it. She didn't know who to suspect, she talked to so many people that night, she danced with two men and even got to talk to the boss himself. She was on the way up to her hotel room and the next thing she remembers, one of the gorillas in a suit was trying to hook her up to a PASIV. She was too weak,couldn't move, couldn't fight back from the tight grip on her forearm, quite aggressively forcing an IV into her vein.  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you", she mumbled, still feeling the effects of a sedative that hasn't fully worn off yet. She looked up and as if through a fog, she has seen someone sneering at her, they were in some sort of an abandoned warehouse full of old furniture.  
"Did you hear that fellas? We better get packing and going, it's not like we need the money or anything." he said, laughter of his colleagues echoing through the empty walls of the warehouse. She closed her eyes, mind racing hundred miles an hour. So they were going to want to extract information from her, and so she knew she had nothing to worry about. She just eased back into the lounge chair that she was handcuffed to and smiled faintly to herself.

Nobody has ever managed to extract information from her. Once in dream world, she knew she was a force to be reckoned with.

* * *

She had lost the count of days that she spent locked up in this dingy dark apartment with two not so bright blokes in suits. There was no point in shouting, nobody would hear her, and even if they did, they were probably already paid off to keep quiet about it. The two gorrilas kept regurgitating the same rehearsed questions over and over without giving her any answers, so she knew there was somebody higher involved. "_How much is he paying you? What are his plans? What's your real role in his enterprise?"_ and all she could do is smile her way through the interrogations. They didn't use any force and gave her food regularly, so she knew she was considered some sort of an asset to them. Cobol Engineering? Perhaps, Mombasa was their ruling grounds after all. She has been informed of anonymous threads on the deep web in regards to her very own person, asking about any information on her background, she knew she was sought out by the competition. But she knew her worth and wasn't going to jump ship so easily, she valued loyalty.

Because that's what got her out of that apartment, she knew her boss was looking for her. One day came a knock on the door, such a bizzare yet so normal sound that gave her hope. An old black man was pulled into the apartment, two glocks pointing in his direction as he smiled and sat down on a couch. He was dressed very humbly, brown suitpants and cream shirt that showed some wear and tear, you'd swear he was just on the way to the mass rather than walking into some criminal dealings. He had a black suitcase with him, the kind that one look at it was enough to tell that it was filled with cash. Lots of it.  
"Gentlemen, all you have to do is leave right now, and Mr. Saito will spare you" he said with a heavy accent as he turned the suitcase towards them to show neatly stacked notes. There was probably half a million US dollars in there, maybe less, "All you have to say is that you were ambushed and the mark escaped."

It's funny what money can do to people.

* * *

It was getting irritatingly hot outside, she didn't think it was possible for the streets to fill more people but the orchestra of hundreds of city noises didn't seem to die down. Pair of green eyes has been screening the surroundings attentively now that they've accustomed to the painful brightness. There was no point in even trying to look casual, she knew she stood out from the crowd. Among the black people she seemed paper white, almost like a ghost and she felt like one too. People kept bumping into her, pushing her around as if they couldn't see her and those who did gave her concerned looks, considering her appearance. She was still wearing a maroon dress that she wore the night she was kidnapped, except it wasn't so elegant anymore, the bottom of it ripped up and her face covered in dirt, she had a hoodie that helped her hide her pale skin from the violent rays of the sun. So she knew better than to look at anyone, in case somebody was brave enough to ask her _"are you okay?_"

She was far from it, but that didn't matter. She wasn't the one to show her weaknesses, it wasn't in her nature. It's what made her one of the best.


	2. Chapter 1: Leap of Faith

**DISCLAIMER:** Inception is owned by Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros, I simply want to add a bit of flavour with my OC(s, maybe plural). Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Leap of Faith**

_Baths are truly a Godsend_, she thought to herself as she stared at the ripples on the surface of the water. Her head was hurting again, this time from the intensity of lavender oils and bath salts that were in the air. Or maybe she was slowly going into a shock as the water has been long gone cold and all the bubbles were popped already. It didn't really matter; she didn't want to move. All she could think of is how to prolong the inevitable, what would it take for time to stop and let her stand on the side lines while life sprints ahead of her? Surely somebody else could deal with this, no? Except they couldn't, it was her job. For a short while, she hoped that she was actually dreaming. She looked down on the robe thrown lazily on the ground and nearly leaped for it, splashing water all over the white quartz tiles, hands trembling from cold looking for the little trinket. And there it was, in all its grandeur - a little silver heart locket. One might have thought it held a sentimental value but that was far from truth, she knew she couldn't afford being nostalgic. She only needed a quick peek inside to reassure herself that she wasn't dreaming after all. Her sigh still echoed in the bathroom as she jumped at the sound of a knock on the door.  
"Miss Gravois, is everything alright?", a low voice came from behind the door. It was her newly assignment security guard, she couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes.  
"Yeah, yeah, of course Koji", she shouted, waving lazily at the door, "just tell him I'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

She heard sound of fading footsteps and finally heaved her body from the bath. She made her way to the full-length mirror, carelessly trying to wipe away the steam, shaking the whole frame. She nearly felt sorry for the little person that looked back at her - messy brown hair now slicked back look nothing like long thick waves that usually cascaded down her back. Her dark green eyes showed speckles of red here and there, betraying her poor sleeping pattern. She smiled but it looked so weird, she exhaled in frustration. _When did I get so pale? I need to go on some damn holiday soon,_ she thought to herself but the concept of vacation didn't appeal to her at all, to her it was an unnecessary luxury.  
"C'mon Lilou, don't be such a spoiled brat," she said out loud to herself, looking for some reassurance, "there's a solution to every problem, you've dealt with worse before."

She walked out of the bathroom into in a big fluffy white robe and a towel on her head, making her way over to the balcony door. Yes, she was in Tokyo, those skyscrapers seemed too familiar to have second thoughts. She was too high up to see the traffic down below, but she definitely heard it, closing the window so she could gather her thoughts. From behind her came a polite cough that snapped her out of her daze, she turned around straight away to face her boss. How long has he been standing there?  
"Mr. Saito, it's good to see you sir," she said, smiling as convincingly as she could but the Asian man was still frowning at her, making Lilou sigh a little too heavily, "don't worry, I'm fine."  
"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation miss Gravois," he said, eyeing her carefully as if he was looking for any signs of injuries," I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you."  
"That's very nice and all, please don't think I don't appreciate it", she smiled while she searched her luggage for a pack of cigarettes, "but I would like to find out what exactly happened."

Right to the point, just like she used to always be. The pair walked out onto the balcony so as to hide from possible eavesdroppers in the hustle and bustle of the capital at night. Lilou lit a cigarette, inhaling it lightly as she watched neon signs down below change colours. She has been working for Saito for the last three years now, moving around the world right behind him, silently. Security Consultant - she had to laugh at her official title as she knew she was the furthest thing from it. She needed something as cover for her actual job and Dream Sharing Consultant didn't sound as legitimate. Yes, she was a part of a dream sharing world for years, probably longer than she should have been. It started simply, with a bachelor's degree in architecture. A friend of a friend sang their praises to the right (or wrong) person after she finished college and just like that, she was involved in the extraction business. And boy, was she good at it. Fuelled by pure imagination and the need to create, she quickly gaining a nickname among local French colleagues - _créatrice, _the creator, but not for long. Having done a few jobs over a year or two, she carefully saved her "new venture" as she liked to tell her acquaintances. And then all of a sudden, she disappeared. Many thought that she got into business with the wrong crowd and had to grab her money and run - or worse, she was er, gotten rid of. She came back to Paris two months later as if nothing happened, convincing everyone that she's decided to retire early. Whether many people believed that, it's that's another story as her financial status was quite obvious - expensive car, jewellery, clothes. She simply stated that she worked as a freelancer, and she didn't really lie as she took an occasional commission here and there after getting generous recommendation from Saito. Except her real job involved the very same man directly.  
"You were right, Cobol Engineering is really going after us. I'll admit, I thought Kaneda was being paranoid", said her boss, watching her exhale another cloud of smoke, "I thought you quit."  
"I did, but then shit hit the fan and I needed something for my nerves other than alcohol", she smiled faintly, moving the cigarette away from Saito," I knew this kind of information wasn't safe with him. That man would sell his own mother when held at a gunpoint, in dream or reality."  
"Now, now, no need to be so harsh. He hasn't showed up yet so consider yourself lucky", he put his hands up in defence and looked at the young woman with a grave look on his face, "I was put under as well." Lilou's smile disappeared quickly, her mind went blank for a second. So, it was a diversion, they wanted to keep her away from Saito so they could have easier access to him.  
"You were _what?_ How long was I gone for?!" she shouted in frustration, not paying attention to ash from cigarette now littering her snow white night gown, "how am I the only person in this _fucking_ company than can actually keep you safe?!"  
"Please do not shout, it's pointless", he said calmly, "I doubt you would have been able to do anything about it, I was on the bullet train to Kyoto. They were fast, professio-"  
"Bullshit, I want to see your itinerary", she mumbled more to herself, throwing down finished cigarette bud on the ground.  
"Like I said, professionals, "he gave her a death stare but a few seconds later his features relaxed again, "fortunately, thanks to your training I was ready for this kind of scenario. Cobol Engineering still isn't aware of anything. Thank you for that."  
"Mister Saito, you know there's no need for that," she shifted uncomfortably, a small laugh escaping her throat as he bowed in front of her. She forgot that for him it was more a custom than an expression of gratitude," it's my job to keep you safe in a dream world, it's why you hired me in the first place".  
"You know well than you're more than just an _employee_, "his brows furrowed at the sound of that word, "you have given me business opportunities that I would have never considered venturing into. Sometimes I still wonder what made you believe in my sincerity when you came to me with those crazy ideas."  
"Back then? Oh, that's easy, I was _so_ naive", she laughed again, sincerely this time, smiling at the memory, "ambitious, but naive. You took a big leap of faith as well, and well, guess we both got lucky. I'm not complaining now though," she said waving her hand into the general direction of her hotel room, no less than a five star standard for sure.  
"That still doesn't excuse me from letting you get kidnapped while we were in Mombasa and I'm truly sorry for not looking for you personally, I didn't want to have any disagreements with Cobol on their ruling grounds."  
"Apology accepted, consider it a work hazard. I'm sure you have me insured against all that stuff."  
"Well, while you're in a good humour, let me entertain you with yet another thought at dinner later, if you care to join me" he said, corners of his lips twitching ever so slightly upwards.

* * *

"How's your salmon?"  
"Good, bit overcooked. How's your big mastermind plan doing?" she blurted out after nervously looking around the restaurant located in the hotel. It was just them and another older couple at the other side of the room, the silence drove her crazy.  
"What?" Saito looked up perplexed, only after taking two bites from his own meal, then smiled, "oh, yes, you are an impatient one, forgive my ignorance."  
Lilou knew he was about to drop a crazy idea on her, his face back there on that balcony gave his intentions away. Usually she'd be getting ready to get her hands dirty but she couldn't shake off this weird feeling, she couldn't tell what it young woman leaned in, resting both elbows on the table, showing her boss that he has all of her attention right now. The man in front of her chewed through his food carefully, for what it seemed like an eternity to Lilou who impatiently tapped her long nails on the wooden surface. He wiped his mouth gently with a napkin, watching her attentively as he dropped it on the plate.  
"I think I found a solution to our Fischer Morrow, problem."  
"What, other than an assassination, inside-job kind of a thing?" she laughed, realising how ridiculous that sounded coming from her.  
"Inception," he said quietly, watching her smile fade immediately. She has never fully explained that concept to him, more so for personal reasons, but even hearing that word come out of his mouth littered her shoulders with small goose bumps. She tried brushing it off by reaching for her glass of wine.  
"What of it?", she asked just as quietly, swirling the bubbly liquid around the glass.  
"Well, what do you think, is it possible?"  
"Mister Saito, do you think if inception was ever performed successfully, I wouldn't have hear about it?" she said. _Liar, liar, pants on fire, _she heard a tiny little voice inside of her squeaking and she quickly took two big gulps of her drink, hoping to mute it.  
"But there has been rumours," now he was leaning it, clearly showing his interest, Lilou didn't like that.  
"Sir, there has _always _been rumours going around, I didn't you were the kind to act on those, trying to tug on his ego but to no avail.  
"Listen, a man like be shouldn't be dirtying his hands and getting yakuza involved in this, it's possible but it's too much. I was talking to this gentleman; his name is Dominic-"  
"Cobb? You were talking to _Cobb_ while I was gone?" she cut him off, now perplexed and clearly confused. _Am I in a fucking dream again?_ She thought to herself and instantly reached into her purse at the side of the table, pulling out the locket. Once again, a quick peek and a small sigh of relief indicated that she was in real world, but that did not make it any easier, "I wasn't aware that you were consulting third parties on your matters concerning dream sharing?"  
"No, not at all, please allow me to explain," he continued as he filled her glass with more wine, "Cobb and two others were hired by Cobol to get information from me regarding that pipeline on the east coast, yes? Yes. Now, after they failed, we managed to get a hold of their architect who told me straight away where Cobb and his friend Arthur were staying."  
"What happened to them? Are they dead?" she asked, maybe a bit too quick. She knew both of those names well.  
"No, not at all. In fact, I made an offer to mister Cobb that I knew he couldn't resist."  
She could nearly guess what it entailed. Dominic Cobb was one of the most successful and well known extractor, however a little birdie told her a while ago that he has been on the run since his wife died in quite mysterious circumstances, making it impossible for him to go back to America to their children. Given the fact that he was the main suspect, Lilou wouldn't even dare admit that she once knew him well, not with the clean appearance she managed to keep up. She couldn't let all that fall apart.  
"So if I understand correctly, you want to buy him a safe pass home in exchange for inception? With all due respect mister Saito, you're not doing a bit of online shopping on the dark web, it's not one bit as simple as it seems!"  
"Aha, but you agree that it is possible after all?" the Asian man looked content, sitting back in his chair, "I'm glad that we both are sharing this gentleman's view. I would like to believe that a man that has _so_ much to lose, is _so_ desperate, would find it hard to lie about something so intricate. I simply asked him to take a leap of faith."  
"If he succeeds, he can't tell anyone because Cobol will be still onto him about messing up their job, and if he messes up then... well, his loss," she muttered, knowing fully well that the decision has been made and as much as she didn't like the plan, it was a necessity. "And am I to do the same? You know well I don't like working in the field anymore..." she trailed off, nervously tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear, Saito sensed her discomfort.  
"No, I am well aware of that, I wouldn't ask anything like that off you, especially after recent turn of events. In fact, I would love for you to take early retirement but I'm guessing that's not really an option here, is it Miss Gravois?"  
"Nope, not a chance. This is the only thing I'm bloody good that, so no, I', not going anywhere", she said stubbornly folding her arms across her chest. She didn't work her ass off now to let that go just like that and she knew he wasn't going to argue with her.  
"This is why I want you to overlook this... project", Saito smiled at the sound of that word," I want you to fly to Paris and set up a place of work and once Cobb has a team gathered, do a background check and make sure all the planning goes smoothly, yes?"  
"Yes, yes, as smoothly as inception can go", she mumbled to herself, picking away at her food once again, "how did you know they put you in a dream anyway, what did they miss?" Saito smiled widely, as if he was about to tell his best joke.  
"A carpet Lilou, a _bloody carpet._"

* * *

**A/N: **Any sort of criticism is encouraged, I'd love to hear from people! This is kind of boring and long, the kind of chapter that you know you have to get out of the way without revealing too much either, ya get me? How mysterious does my OC seem, I'm going to try find the right balance between boring/angsty/guilty conscience and "I got money so I know how to enjoy life" kind of girl.  
_xoxo_


End file.
